mraculeated
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
ametaphysicalshark
"Overnight Delivery" is one of those mainstream Hollywood comedies that must have been a modest success upon release but which is remembered mostly through vague recollections from those who saw it on a date in 1998, among fans of the stars, or by people who caught it on TV at some point. I belong to the latter group, having seen this sometime in the early 00's, probably, on some movie channel. It's been a persisting half-memory since, I remembered it being a fun little road movie (and I'm a sucker for those) but didn't really remember any of the events in the film outside the basic plot (guy thinks girlfriend is cheating, prepares a package containing a used condom, a staged picture of him and a naked girl, and a vicious letter to her, sends it through overnight delivery, finds out she wasn't cheating and now must stop the package from reaching her with the help of a stripper he goes to school with who is basically the exact opposite of his girlfriend) and ending, so it seemed appropriate for a re-watch particularly as I was in a romantic mood."Overnight Delivery" is loaded with clichés: rom-com clichés, road movie clichés (there's even the old lit cigarette+gas=boom thing), absolutely outrageous moments with no grounding in reality, rather trite characterization, some dumb dialogue, and a completely predictable and obvious climax. Sounds painful, doesn't it? Well, it really isn't. "Overnight Delivery" is really, really entertaining, light, fun viewing. It has its flaws, it's nothing all that new, but it's blessed with an energy and conviction that keeps it afloat. There's nothing worse than an unfunny comedy, 'they' say. This is true of truly, miserably unfunny comedies, but I'll suggest that there's nothing worse than a bland comedy. Something that provides several chuckles but is so bland and uninvolving as a film that it doesn't matter if it's ever really funny. I only laughed twice during "Overnight Delivery", nothing else provoked more than a smile or chuckle from me, and I shook my head at some of the sillier, more dramatic stuff here. Still, I was thoroughly entertained throughout the film and never took my eyes off the screen. It must be doing something right, and as much as I try to put my finger on it I can't quite figure it out. It's a confident genre film, it knows the conventions and how to employ them to full effect, but that's not quite enough, the two leads in Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon are inspired, particularly Rudd (and this must have been just after "Clueless") who is just an incredibly likable actor, but that's not enough on its own either. Yet, there is something about this movie that makes me think it would be good to own on DVD and watch every few months, and while I still can't put my finger on it I'll just sum it up as 'energy'. It's a really energetic, well-paced film (credit to director Jason Bloom) which is never boring.Give this one a shot, I can give it a whole-hearted recommendation. It's not outrageously funny but it's well-acted for the most part, it's consistently enjoyable, and even if you can guess anything and everything that's about to happen it's still thoroughly enjoyable. I think it's because you completely buy the two lead characters as real people, even though you could easily make an argument that no real people would actually do what these two do, and even though they're basically defined by the ultra-simplistic character traits they're given when we're introduced to them, and really don't develop all that much. There's a couple of costly mistakes and some major flaws but the film is ultimately a surprisingly fun ride, and absolutely worth a viewing, particularly if you're looking for a lightweight comedy with a refreshing lack of cynicism and real conviction as well as an earnest attitude. Good stuff.
Karmicsamadi86
Okay I would consider myself a movie buff and have a love for the more traditional Drama type movies, however there was something about Overnight Delivery that made me love it. Truthfully how can you not. The storyline in it's self is hysterical. Boy likes girl,she goes away to college,he mistakenly thinks that she has cheated on him, he sends her inappropriate material through FedEx, realizes that he has made a mistake and seeks the aid of a local dancer to assist him in stopping the package. Now I am not suggesting that the movie was so good that is was passed over for an Oscar nom, but it is a really good Friday or Saturday night watch if your not doing anything and looking for a great laugh.
